From Lisbon

Overview

From Lisbon and besides the sites already described, we can also guide you to other places, including the Peniche/Cabo Carvoeiro/Lagoa de Óbidos area, the Serra da Arrábida and Cabo Espichel, the Lagoa de Santo André, the Portas de Ródão, or other destinations you may be interested in visiting.

Peniche and Cabo Carvoeiro are especially good for sea-watching, offering good opportunities to see species like Common Scoter, European Storm Petrel, Cory’s Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, European Shag, Great Skua, Pomarine Jaeger and Parasitic Jaeger. Lagoa de Óbidos is a coastal lagoon especially rich in wetland species and birds normally seen here include Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill and an excellent selection of waders and gulls. The agricultural land and the pine woodland around the lagoon add numerous species of raptors and passerines. The ancient towns of Óbidos, Alcobaça and Batalha are all worthy of a detour to experience the magnificence of their beautifully maintained historic buildings. Óbidos is a medieval walled town, which boasts a castle straight out of a fairytale, while the Monastery of Santa Maria at Alcobaça and the Monastery of Batalha, are both UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Serra da Arrábida and Cabo Espichel are also an interesting option, the former being a range of limestone mountains with a Mediterranean-type of vegetation and the latter a headland excellent for finding trans-Saharan migrants, especially during the post-breeding period. Key species in these two sites include Black-winged Kite, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Wryneck, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Golden Oriole, European Crested Tit, Iberian Chiffchaff, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, Tawny Pipit and Hawfinch, besides potential rarities. Cabo Espichel also offers good opportunities for sea-watching.

Lagoa de Santo André is another interesting coastal lagoon, surrounded by dunes and pine woodland, offering excellent conditions for both aquatic and woodland bird species. It is one of the best sites in Portugal for diving ducks and key target species here include Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Western Swamphen, Red-knobbed Coot, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Eurasian Hobby, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Great Reed Warbler and Savi’s Warbler.

Portas de Ródão constitutes one of the best sites in the country for rock loving birds. Species normally seen on this tour (depending on the season) include Black Stork, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Crag Martin, Dartford Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting. Ruppell’s Vulture is recorded regularly and White-rumped Swift has been recorded. An extension to the International Tagus Natural Park requires a second day or more, but can add species like Cinereous Vulture, Iberian Imperial Eagle, Golden Eagle, Western Orphean Warbler, Spectacled Warbler and Subalpine Warbler. 

For all these sites we only offer full day (or longer) tours and are delighted to send you a quotation for each, or for a combination of these places.